hi everyone,
i am going to banhkok this coming chinese new year, hope to get some tips for shopping place and hotel is near siam square..

richard

You did not say your budget, but the President is a good hotel one skytrain stop away. Also Central is IMHO the best department store in Bangkok and again very close to the President.

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Mark, you mentioned the IMHO Dept Store in Bangkok. Can you tell me if this is near the Novotel on Siam Square, which is where we are staying in April. We will only really have 1 full day to shop the Dept. Stores and had planned MBK and Siam Centre shops etc. Is the IMHO worth a visit if it is close by?

Kitty, I hope you're not winding us up (but I must admit I DID have a bit of a laugh!)
There isn't a department store called IMHO - those initials stand for In My Humble Opinion. Mark says that the department store called "Central" is the best in Bangkok (others might suggest Siam Paragon .. same area, while others would nomiinate Emporium in Sukhumvit).

There are a few Central department stores around Bangkok, but Mark means the one in Chitlom, right by the BTS. That''s the nearest one to Siam Square.
Enjoy the shopping.

OK Kimbo - so .... you can have a laugh at me - thats ok!!!! Im new to the travelforum stuff (but I do admit its a bit addictive) and Im not quite up to the teenager texting language ... so ... yes you are correct that I did not know what IMHO actually meant!!! And here I was getting rather excited that there was yet another fabulous department store in Siam that I hadnt yet come across in any prior info ..... laugh all you like!!!
Its not as if 3 days in Bangkok for us will be enough to see what we already have planned ie. one day to settle in and ground ourselves, then Sunday all day shopping at Chatuchuk markets, then Monday all day at MBK etc, then Tuesday trying to fit in a trip to the Grand Palace, and then checking out and (very sadly) flying home to Australia. I know that people either love or hate Bangkok - I havent been there yet, but I already know I love it. Just like I love Kuta and Saigon.
PS Kimbo - are you still laughing?????

I assure you I wasn't laughing in a mean kind of way - a lot of people who write on forums are very witty and I thought perhaps this was one of those people seeing an opportunity to make a funny post which I liked in any case.

Now that you understand the name of the department stores you'll be able to shop till you drop - sounds like a pretty busy schedule in any case.
Chatuchuk will be very tiring (every time I've been there it's been crowded and hot - half a day is generally enough). Suggest you get there early so you can look at the stalls instead of the backs of everyone else's head and shoulders - it gets that crowded.
If you've had enough of that after half a day, you could always go to Emporium or Central Chitlom on your way back to Siam - as well as good shopping, both of these stores have excellent food courts (and Emporium has an Oriental cafe .... the Mandarin Oriental hotel has a small cafe on the ground floor right by the front entrance... very nice and would be a pleasant time after the rigours of Chatuchuk.

There are lots of market stalls hidden away in the back streets in various places around town - from around noon, they are crowded with locals looking for a bargain during their lunchbreak. There are some up near the palace.

Sorry Kimbo, I did not see your question - looks like you should try the LOL Department Store also

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Well Kimbo ... Im so glad you werent laughing meanly at me!!! Im very new to chat-room/forum stuff (as I said) and I had no idea what IMHO meant. My Business Course instructor last nite told me that of course he knew what it meant and he then went on to show me a website which lists hundreds of chat-room abbreviations - and then he had a very big laugh (RAFL) at me!!!
Thanx for your very useful info on Chatuchuk - we will indeed get there early, and as we have 3 kids in tow, Im sure they will have had enough by lunchtime!!! Is it anything like the Ben Thanh Markets in Saigon?? Similar size and level of chaos maybe?? I managed to brave several trips there (and survived!) and loved it!!
So ... you are in Bangkok now - Im hoping you will have even more useful tips for me on your return!!! And perhaps some tips for Phuket as we are there for 10 nts before Bangkoki - staying at Patong Merlin - right in the thick of things!!
Have fun and looking fwd to hearing from you when you get back!